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Gov. Mike Parson said Monday that Missouri's statewide social distancing order is in the process of being expanded beyond its original end date next week.
Since March 23, Missouri has had social gatherings limited to 10 people, in addition to other measures - including for restaurants and residential facilities for seniors - designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported 1,031 cases of COVID-19 in the state, with 13 deaths from the disease, as of Monday.
The state has reported at least one case in Mid-Missouri's Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Moniteau, Morgan and Osage counties.
The Cole County Health Department has reported a total of 24 cases, including two people who have recovered.
Boone County had the most reported cases in Mid-Missouri, according to DHSS, with 59, including one patient who died.
The statewide social distancing order is set to expire April 6. However, Parson said Monday that he expects another 30-60 days before orders are lifted.
"We're evaluating that daily," he said, adding he expects to make a decision by the end of the week.
While there are different projections of when the pandemic may peak in Missouri, Parson said, "I think that we're all looking somewhere around the middle of April for a turning point."
He did not want to give false hope to anyone, however, adding: "I think we're still 60, 90 days away from getting through this virus, and that's kind of a best-case scenario."
"Everybody has a different version of what we should do on a stay-at-home order for the state of Missouri. We have to evaluate the whole state, and we have to look at it county per county," Parson said of how to decide whether to enact a statewide stay-at-home order.
"The one thing I focus on every day is real data - how many people do we have in the hospitals, how many people have tested positive, and where does that model, where do this things lead us to in the future. Those decisions are not easy to make every day, and no matter what your order is, or no matter what the exceptions are, it's going to come down to people abiding by the orders," Parson said.
Medical reciprocity
While the governor said the state is not currently considering shutting down interstate travel, he did announce a waiver granting full reciprocity for out-of-state physicians and surgeons to practice in-person or via telehealth in Missouri.
Missouri is already part of an interstate compact that allows registered nurses and licensed practical nurses from the 32 states that are part of the compact to practice in person or via telehealth.
"Also, effective immediately, the governor has temporarily waived the regulation requiring that a collaborating physician and an advanced practicing registered nurse be within 75 miles of each other," said Chlora Lindley-Myers, director of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance.
"This waiver was requested by the Missouri Board of Nursing and the Missouri Board for the Healing Arts, who work in close collaboration to increase the workforce mobility," Lindley-Myers added.
Jennifer Tidball, acting director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, spoke Monday about measures that department is taking to aid Missourians who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, child care subsidy and other public benefits. More information on those resources is available at dss.mo.gov/covid-19/.